Negative news such as crime news often receives a disproportionate media attention and this sometimes creates unnecessary fear among the public. Therefore, there is a proposal that the government should impose a complete ban on crime news. While reporting crime related news can help raise awareness in some cases, I believe that the public would benefit more from the elimination of such news as it can distort the reality for many and affect children.
Covering crime news on the media can increase awareness. For example, when there is a murder and the murderer is at large, news channels such as TV and newspapers are effective ways to reach out to the public. People, in turn, can be better prepared for potential situations by taking precautions, warning others, or even helping the police to identify the criminal. In this sense, reporting crimes, however violent they may be, is a better strategy.
In my opinion, however, we can do away with crime news altogether. First, it can lead to reality distortion for many people. Media outlets often focus too much on reporting bad news to increase their revenue and this excessive focus can lead people to think that they are surrounded by criminals. As a result, people may start to feel wary of almost everyone including their neighbors. When people actively avoid forming relationships due to this fear, this may affect societal cohesion in the long run.
The effects of crime news on children are even more dire. The constant exposure to such news can desensitize children. When children consume violent news, they may start to think that this is a normal human behavior. This can even encourage children to engage in criminal activities in future due to the lack of empathy resulting from years of exposure to violence in the news.
In conclusion, the implications of reporting crime news are two-fold: it may create fear among people and make children less sensitive to criminal behavior. Therefore, I am in full support of the proposal that crime related news should be eliminated from newspapers and TV.
